-- Customer management -- The need to increase customer satisfaction,
retention, up-sell / cross-sell opportunities
-- Risk management -- The ability to predict harmful events before they
occur, and uncover financial anomalies and fraudulent behavior before it
affects performance
-- Process management -- The establishment of process analysis measures
that allow for the prediction of process changes that will yield new
efficiencies and performance improvement
-- Growth management -- Understanding the effects of growth on the
business before they happen; this includes activities such as workforce
planning, supply chain management, and infrastructure planning
-- Product planning -- The ability to understand market and customer
demand earlier in order to increase speed to market and establish
positioning, pricing, and market awareness before the competition
According to research presented in a new report, "Predictive analytics: The
BI Crystal Ball," Best-in-Class companies have improved visibility of
predictive analytic measures to management at a mean average rate of 36%
increase in the past 12 months, versus 9% among Industry Average companies,
and -1% among Laggards. Additionally, fifty-nine percent (59%) of
Best-in-Class companies receive information for predictive analysis within
a business day or less from actual business activity, versus 45% of all
other respondents combined.
"Increasingly, companies are realizing the value of using data and
information to align their current actions with their future objectives,"
said David Hatch, Research Director of Aberdeen's Business Intelligence
Practice. "Organizations are under pressure to predict the future more
accurately than ever before, both in terms of becoming more proactive
within shifting market dynamics, and achieving improved performance through
a better understanding of customer behaviors and attitudes, assessment of
risk, improvement of process efficiencies, and planning for product
development, pricing, and market positioning."
Aberdeen research found that the top pressure driving companies to evaluate
and invest in predictive technologies and capabilities was the need to
elevate customer satisfaction and loyalty. Understanding the customer, and
applying that knowledge to marketing, sales, and customer service activity
is not a new concept, but the technologies available today to perform these
tasks within a predictive environment are increasingly effective. This is
evidenced by the current and planned investments that Best-in-Class
companies are making, and the performance results they have achieved. The
underlying technologies involved are complex and often involve the rapid
movement and manipulation of massive amounts of data. Aberdeen's report
cautions end-users to carefully consider options, and realize the
ramifications across the architecture and infrastructure of information
systems as part of the equation.
A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the
following underwriters: IBM and Nielsen. To obtain a complimentary copy of
the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4875.
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more
about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.
© 2008 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company 260 Franklin Street Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3112 Telephone: (617) 723-7890 Fax: (617) 723-7897 www.aberdeen.com
Contact Information: Media Contact: David Hatch Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5329 david.hatch@aberdeen.com